Pilaipan PutbavatbanaCbantapong WasiUraiwan KositanontSubbaree SuwanjutbaeTeeracbai CbantarojanasiriWannee KantakamalakulPakanee KantawateeraPrasert TbongcbaroenFaculty of Medicine, Siriraj Hospital, Mahidol UniversityMahidol University2018-06-142018-06-141990-01-01Reviews of Infectious Diseases. Vol.12, (1990), S988-S994016208862-s2.0-0025223028https://repository.li.mahidol.ac.th/handle/20.500.14594/16156The hospital-based study described here examined the viruses found in 738 children < 5 years old who presented at Ramathibodi Hospital, Bangkok, Thailand, from January 1986 to December 1987 with acute respiratory tract infections. Three methods for detection of viral infection are compared: direct examination of epithelial cells of the respiratory tract with the use of fluorescent antibody staining, isolation of virus, and measurement of antibody in acute- and convalescent-phase sera. Viral infections were found in 44.70/0 of the study population. Diagnosis by the examination of epithelial cells with the fluorescent antibody staining procedure was found to have several deficiencies; however, this technique was the most sensitive for diagnosis of infection due to respiratory syncytial virus. Isolation of virus was the best method for identification of adenoviruses, parainfluenza 1 and 3 viruses, and influenza B virus. Problems associated with serodiagnosis included failure to obtain specimens of convalescent-phase blood in 24.50/0 of cases and insensitivity of serodiagnosis for young children except for the identification of antibody to influenza A virus. The combination of all three tests yielded the best rate of detection of virus. © 1990 by The University of Chicago.Mahidol UniversityMedicineArticleSCOPUS10.1093/clinids/12.Supplement_8.S988